Motorized pleasure boats are abundant and growing in numbers on the world's waterways. Pleasure boating is generally a safe form of recreation. Nevertheless, this sport has seen its share of deaths and injuries caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. One instance of this is due to the phenomenon of deaths occurring during “teak surfing.” Teak surfing is an activity which involves individuals grasping the swim deck located behind a boat's transom for purposes of being pulled through the water, either bodily, or on a flotation apparatus. However, on motor boats with swim decks, the exhaust ports are usually located below the swim deck, near the waterline. The air space between the waterline and the bottom of the swim deck operates as a collection “pocket” for poisonous carbon monoxide exhaust gas. Carbon monoxide, if breathed by a human in sufficient quantities, can displace oxygen and cause unconsciousness and death. Teak surfers and swimmers, being directly adjacent to the carbon monoxide collection pockets or exhaust ports on boats can experience carbon monoxide overload, which has led to deaths in a number of incidents.
Carbon monoxide can also waft into a boat's cabin after being deflected off the boat's own wake upon exiting from the boat's exhaust ports. There have been cases where enough carbon monoxide has entered a cabin from this phenomenon to cause passengers to be overcome and killed.
Onboard gasoline electricity generators can also be a source of carbon monoxide on boats. Generator exhaust ports are typically located on the side of most boats, and if the generator is running, carbon monoxide fumes can waft upward into the breathing space of boat passengers.
Therefore, a need exists for a device which can prevent high concentrations of carbon monoxide from developing in areas on, or near a boat, where passengers could breathe these fumes and be affected by them.